According to Malaysian state news agency Bernama, seven bodies were recovered by Malaysian authorities and six more bodies were discovered by Thai authorities.
“We expect to find more victims today as the current patterns in the search area indicate that they are drifting towards Malaysian waters,” Maritime Rear Admiral Romli Mustafa told reporters on Monday.
He added that search and rescue operations have been expanded to cover more than 250 square nautical miles.
The group of migrants reportedly left Myanmar on a large boat carrying about 300 people, then transferred the passengers to three smaller boats. One of the vessels later capsized, and the fate of the other two vessels remains unknown, according to media reports on Sunday.
The Rohingya, Myanmar’s largely Muslim minority, face abuse, discrimination and statelessness and often flee the country.
Myanmar has been in the grip of civil war since a military coup in 2021, with ongoing ethnic clashes and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
MNA